Yeast

[rude]

Hello all I purchased a 3068 wyeast, made a 1.5 litre starter then poured half into another 2 litre flagon & the other half onto my wort.

Its was done on the 26th of november & the starter has been in the fridge since

Finally about to do another Hefe Wiezen will the starter be allright still or should I pour off & then add some more malt to see if its a goer?

I think it should be fine but just asking the brains trust as there are some really experienced brewers out there who know & will put my mind at ease

\cheers all

 

[Scruffy]

I think you know your answer - i'd give it a bit of a nudge (1040 wort - malt and hop mix) see if it bites...


I had some 'sediment' sat in my fridge (1214) in one o them science flasks, i just poured it straight into the fermenter (had some 1968 on standby...) - off like a rocket!

When you think about it, it's not quite as precious as we make it out to be, sure you protect it from obvious infection etc, but, if it wants to shag... it'll shag.

I quite like the Weihenstephan strain too - specially brewing at 20/21C,

- what I would say is get a feel for the right pitching rate - not too little (unless you're a scientist), and not too much, and be consistent with temperature (rather than variable!)

She'll be right (as you people say...) :icon_cheers:

 

[Screwtop]

Hello all I purchased a 3068 wyeast, made a 1.5 litre starter then poured half into another 2 litre flagon & the other half onto my wort.

Its was done on the 26th of november & the starter has been in the fridge since

Finally about to do another Hefe Wiezen will the starter be allright still or should I pour off & then add some more malt to see if its a goer?

Seems a few have been posting outlining this same procedure lately. Can't see why you would want to pitch the whole smack pack into 2L of wort then use half of it. Doesn't make sense, I doubt a whole smack pack in two litres of wort will produce much if any cell budding, it will just begin fermentation. So you would be effectively pitching half a smack pack, although the pitch would be actively working, so that would be a good thing. Pitch the lot, then refrigerate the left over slurry, there will be way more, enough for 4+ pitches, plus you will have pitched a good active starter with plenty of good cells into your beer.

I think you know your answer - i'd give it a bit of a nudge (1040 wort - malt and hop mix) see if it bites...


I had some 'sediment' sat in my fridge (1214) in one o them science flasks, i just poured it straight into the fermenter (had some 1968 on standby...) - off like a rocket!

When you think about it, it's not quite as precious as we make it out to be, sure you protect it from obvious infection etc, but, if it wants to shag... it'll shag.

I quite like the Weihenstephan strain too - specially brewing at 20/21C,

- what I would say is get a feel for the right pitching rate - not too little (unless you're a scientist), and not too much, and be consistent with temperature (rather than variable!)

She'll be right (as you people say...) :icon_cheers:

Have you tried that beer yet Scruff??

In the past any yeast I've pitched after leaving it for some time without making up a starter has had off flavours and bad clarity due to "yeast Issues". Even yeast that I have washed and left in the fridge for a month or two, and then due to there being plenty of slurry just pitched, have ended up this way.

Cheers,

Screwy

 

[yardy]

In the past any yeast I've pitched after leaving it for some time without making up a starter has had off flavours and bad clarity due to "yeast Issues". Even yeast that I have washed and left in the fridge for a month or two, and then due to there being plenty of slurry just pitched, have ended up this way.

Cheers,

Screwy

that rains on my parade then, i have some Kolsch 2575, Wy 1968 in PET bottles that are unopened from when i poured the slurry in after ferment, but without checking I'd say they are both well over 6 months old.

shit, just re-read your post properly about making a starter, these yeasts should be fine then ?

cheers

Dave

 

[Screwtop]

that rains on my parade then, i have some Kolsch 2575, Wy 1968 in PET bottles that are unopened from when i poured the slurry in after ferment, but without checking I'd say they are both well over 6 months old.

shit, just re-read your post properly about making a starter, these yeasts should be fine then ?

cheers

Dave

Don't sweat Dave :lol: whole point of making a starter is to have enough healthy active cells. Take your old slurry and make a couple of litres of starter, remaining healthy cells will fire and bud. I like to let this batch ferment out then drop out in the fridge, pour off the beer as it may have a little offness :lol: if your yeast was in really poor condition. Then make another starter, either using half of your slurry in 2 litres or the lot in 4 litres and pitch at high krausen.

Cheers,

Screwy

 

[yardy]

Don't sweat Dave :lol: whole point of making a starter is to have enough healthy active cells. Take your old slurry and make a couple of litres of starter, remaining healthy cells will fire and bud. I like to let this batch ferment out then drop out in the fridge, pour off the beer as it may have a little offness :lol: if your yeast was in really poor condition. Then make another starter, either using half of your slurry in 2 litres or the lot in 4 litres and pitch at high krausen.

Cheers,

Screwy

Nice one :icon_cheers:

I wouldn't have liked to lose that 2575 as I don't think you can get it anymore

Cheers
Dave

 

[Hutch]

I'd recommend ramping a starter from a half cup of the old slurry, as with all yeasts. A few months in the fridge will have sent the little buggers to sleep, and they need a bit of a feed to wake up, before throwing them at 20+Ltrs of wort.

One thing with the 3068 is that you can get away with a smaller starter (say 0.5 to 1Ltr), as the lower pitching rate helps to promote fermentation flavours, notably the banana and clove spice phenolics - depending on how much you like these in your Hefe that is!

 

[rude]

I split the pack screwy cause people say on here the first gen is the best with this yeast & then next gen isnt as good.

I would have thought making a starter with half 750 ml would have sufficed in bringing the number of cells up to required rate

Mind you its my first Hefe Wiezen so first up tried 750mm starter fermented at 18c

The next one I will use the other 750ml starter fermented at 21 ish.

The reason I went 750ml starter size was to under pitch to create phenolics

Or are you saying that by making a starter there wont be any budding, sorry not sure what you mean

Cheers, rude

 

[Scruffy]

@ Screwtop...

It's pretty opaque, I admit! But has an intense Chocolate flavour, bitter sweet dry finish... probably a little too lively... but that's my fault for an overzealous bulk prime.

To be a little more candid about my method (instead of the flippant one liners), the yeast was collected immediately after transferring the first brew to secondary and thoroughly 'washed', and it had gone through a mini ferment (as you described) before it hit the fridge and got forgotten...
When it came to use, the liquid was poured off, no particular off smells either (which boded well) and fresh wort added and left to ferment out, I shook up the flask and poured into the new batch... it started pretty much immediately and interestingly pushed a load of what seemed like the cocoa out into the krausen... Long diacetyl rest, cold cond and two weeks in the bottle. It might clear yet, but not much... and it'll probably have been drunk.
I'll be honest though, I was never confident about this, and it could have turned ugly, however I think I got lucky...

 

[Screwtop]

I split the pack screwy cause people say on here the first gen is the best with this yeast & then next gen isnt as good.

I would have thought making a starter with half 750 ml would have sufficed in bringing the number of cells up to required rate

Mind you its my first Hefe Wiezen so first up tried 750mm starter fermented at 18c

The next one I will use the other 750ml starter fermented at 21 ish.

The reason I went 750ml starter size was to under pitch to create phenolics

Or are you saying that by making a starter there wont be any budding, sorry not sure what you mean

Cheers, rude

Hope I have this right. You pitched a smack pack into 1.5L of wort, correct? Then pitched half of that starter into your beer, correct?

If the above is correct: Pitching a smack pack into 1.5L of wort is going to result in very little to no yeast growth. So basically you are pitching half a smack pack of yeast into your wort. So at best you have pitched at absolute best 50 billion celles into your wort. Now you are wanting to pitch some yeast slurry which previously contained 50 billion cells but has been in the fridge under beer for 10 weeks, so considerably less cells now.

If your Hefe wort volume is 22 litres and has a starting gravity of 1.050 the number of cells required is just above 200 billion.

I can understand you wanting to pitch low but 25% is stretching things. For the upcoming batch you could be as low as 25 billion cells (50 billion cells stored under beer for 10 weeks)

Hope this makes sense.

Screwy

 

[Screwtop]

@ Screwtop...

It's pretty opaque, I admit! But has an intense Chocolate flavour, bitter sweet dry finish... probably a little too lively... but that's my fault for an overzealous bulk prime.

To be a little more candid about my method (instead of the flippant one liners), the yeast was collected immediately after transferring the first brew to secondary and thoroughly 'washed', and it had gone through a mini ferment (as you described) before it hit the fridge and got forgotten...
When it came to use, the liquid was poured off, no particular off smells either (which boded well) and fresh wort added and left to ferment out, I shook up the flask and poured into the new batch... it started pretty much immediately and interestingly pushed a load of what seemed like the cocoa out into the krausen... Long diacetyl rest, cold cond and two weeks in the bottle. It might clear yet, but not much... and it'll probably have been drunk.
I'll be honest though, I was never confident about this, and it could have turned ugly, however I think I got lucky...

Simply relating my experience with doing this Scruf. Recently tossed 20L due to using a 3rd gen in this way. Had been washed and in the fridge for a few months, should have made a starter. Felt like taking myself outside and giving myself 3 swift uppercuts, but throwing out 20 litres of beer was punishment enough.

Cheers,

Screwy

 

[rude]

Jeez that does make sence, at least if I pitch the correct amount of cells it will only improve my beer I hope.

So how would one go about splitting a smack pack into 2 starters using the 3068 for a Hefe Wiezen

Allso if I pour off the starter beer & put a fresh litre & a half ontop would this go close to the correct amount of cells needed

The reason for splitting is better first gen & allso splitting the cost of the $16 smack pack.

Just had a look at mr malty he recons 3.6 litres for 25litre 1050 for a simple starter, so maybe I'll pour off what I have, do another 1.5 litre pour off then do another 1 litre or maybe its time to get a stir bar for my stir plate that I havent used yet.

Just when I thought I was doing allright my tecnique is sus.

What do ya recon screwy am I on the right path or am I on rough rails mate

cheers for ya time

 

[rude]

the reason for pouring off is that I only have a 2 litre flagon for starters

cheers

 

[rude]

Having a good think about this, I recon I have been under pitching all my beers made only ales AG

I have had MR Malty at hand but dont know what went wrong there thought 1.5 - 1.75ml was sufice for ales mainly pommy bitters which I have been making around 4%

Mind you I did make a stir plate but havent used it due to not buying a stir bar

Then went for my first Hefe & way underpitched

I am a fidgeter so I nearly shake my starters like it was on a stir plate anyway

I was pretty happy with my last Hefe Wiezen so will build my starter up to required rate & hope for the best

cheers all thanks screwy for directives